Trading hours
Platinum typically trades from 23:00 UK on Sunday to 22:00 UK on Friday with a daily break from 22:00 to 23:00 UK.
| When | UK time | New York time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly open | Sunday 23:00 | Sunday 18:00 ET | CME Globex futures and most CFDs open Sunday evening New York time. Times follow your broker's server clock. |
| Daily break | 22:00 to 23:00 | 17:00 to 18:00 ET | Typically one hour, Monday to Thursday. |
| Friday close | 22:00 | 17:00 ET | Some brokers stop a few minutes earlier on Friday. |
| Busiest hours | 08:00 to 10:00 and 13:30 to 17:00 | 03:00 to 05:00 and 08:30 to 12:00 ET | Typically the London morning, then US data and the New York morning. |
| LBMA Platinum Price | 09:45 and 14:00 | 04:45 and 09:00 ET | Twice daily London benchmark auctions. |
New York changes its clocks on different dates from the UK (in 2026 the UK changed on 25 October and the US on 1 November; in 2027 the US changes on 14 March and the UK on 28 March). In those gap weeks New York is 4 hours behind London instead of 5, so every UK time on this page that is set by New York comes an hour earlier. Broker server clocks usually follow New York, so times on your platform can look different in those weeks even though the market has not moved. The LBMA price times stay at 09:45 and 14:00 UK all year.
What is Platinum (XPTUSD)?
XPTUSD is the price of one troy ounce of platinum in US dollars. Platinum is a precious metal used mostly by industry: catalytic converters that clean car exhaust, especially in diesel engines, plus jewellery, glass, chemicals and hydrogen fuel cells. Most mined supply comes from South Africa, with Russia the next large producer.
It trades in a much smaller market than gold or silver, so spreads can be wider and moves sharper. Spot platinum CFDs follow London prices and NYMEX platinum futures traded on CME Globex.
The trading sessions
Usually thin; spreads can be wide.
Activity builds around the 09:45 UK benchmark.
Typically the most active window, with US data and the 14:00 UK benchmark.
Thinner trade and wider spreads.
Contract facts
Platinum is quoted in US dollars per ounce, usually to 2 decimals. Brokers differ on what they call a point, so check your platform.
Lot sizes differ between brokers (some use 100 troy ounces, some 50). Check the contract specification in your platform.
On a lot of 100 ounces, a 1.00 move in price is worth 100 dollars. On one NYMEX platinum futures contract (50 ounces) a 1.00 move is worth 50 dollars.
NYMEX platinum futures (PL): typically 50 troy ounces, minimum move 0.10 dollars per ounce (5 dollars).
How far it usually moves
Varies with conditions; check the Average daily range indicator on WickSpeak for the current figure. We do not publish a fixed number because we could not verify one from an official source.
What moves Platinum (XPTUSD)
Power cuts, strikes and mine output in South Africa can tighten supply quickly.
Demand for catalytic converters, and the shift to electric cars, shapes long term demand.
Platinum often follows gold and moves against the US dollar on rate news.
Factory activity, especially in China and Europe, drives industrial use.
A small market means large orders can move the price sharply.
News on fuel cells and clean energy policy can change demand expectations.
Scheduled events to watch
The London benchmark auctions used to price physical platinum and palladium deals.
Hotter or cooler inflation changes what traders expect from US interest rates, which moves every risk market.
Eight scheduled meetings a year; the decision and the tone of the press conference reset US rate expectations.
The biggest monthly US data release, often the busiest few minutes of the month.
China is the largest buyer of industrial metals, so its factory survey matters.
Official output figures from the largest platinum producer, released by Statistics South Africa.
What it tends to move with
Often moves the same way, though platinum can lag on growth worries.
Both are car catalyst metals and often react to the same auto news.
A weak rand lowers South African costs in dollars; the link is loose.
Tips for trading Platinum (XPTUSD)
Mind the spread
Spreads can be wide outside London and New York hours. Trade 08:00 to 17:00 UK; an entry where the spread eats more than a fifth of your stop is a poor idea.
Use the benchmark times
Price often reacts around 09:45 and 14:00 UK. A break of the morning range after 14:00 UK is an idea; a 15 minute close back inside proves it wrong.
Check gold
A platinum long is stronger when gold is rising too. If gold closes back below its breakout level, the idea is in doubt; a close below your entry candle's low proves it wrong.
Size for sharp moves
Thin trade means sudden jumps. Set stops beyond structure and size down; a close beyond the swing proves the trade wrong.
Connect a cTrader account once and XPTUSD appears on WickSpeak at your broker's own prices. Key levels show the previous day, week and month highs and lows, pivots, round numbers and average daily range levels with their distance in points. Every indicator writes a plain-English reading on the live candle, including what would prove it wrong, and a Playbook play can alert you, draw a trade plan, paper trade or, only on a play where you switched live trading on, place a trade inside the guardrails you set.
Related markets
Sources: lbma.org.uk, ice.com, help.metrotrade.com, squaredfinancial.com, pepperstone.com, statssa.gov.za, federalreserve.gov. Checked 2026-11-05. Broker hours follow your broker's server clock and can differ.
Questions traders ask
What are platinum trading hours in the UK?
Platinum CFDs typically trade from 23:00 UK on Sunday to 22:00 UK on Friday, with a daily break from 22:00 to 23:00 UK. Times are an hour earlier in the gap weeks around the clock changes.
When is the LBMA platinum price set?
The LBMA Platinum Price is set in two auctions a day, at 09:45 and 14:00 London time. They are benchmarks for physical platinum deals.
What is platinum used for?
Mostly catalytic converters in cars, especially diesel engines, plus jewellery, chemicals, glass and hydrogen fuel cells. That makes demand closely tied to industry.
Is platinum a precious or an industrial metal?
Both. It is a precious metal bought for jewellery and investment, but most demand comes from industry, especially car exhaust catalysts. That is why it often reacts to growth news more than gold does.
What is the best time to trade platinum?
Typically 13:30 to 17:00 UK, when London and New York overlap, and around the 09:45 UK London benchmark.